1. How to Find a Science Fair Project Idea. Look at the world around you. Does anything catch your interest?

2. Pick a science category and narrow that general area down to a topic. For example, if you picked chemistry then you may want to look at projects like: Do plants placed in the sun use more water than plants placed in the share. Which batteries really do last the longest

3. Test the claims made by television commercials or magazine advertisements: Which hairspray holds the longest? Does Liquid soap last longer and lather better than bar soap? How well do anti-bacterial soaps kill bacteria

4. Think about current events: People are suffering from harder to treat bacterial infections because of over use of antibiotics Do antibacterial dish soaps and bath soaps also promote the increase in antibiotic resistant bacteria/

5. Use Your Experiences: Remember time when you wondered how something worked Think about the times when you wondered what would happen if...

6. I have picked a project.... Now what? Is your project a good project? Is it interesting to you? Can you test the question you are asking? A good project is an experiment. It will test something - not show something.

7. I have a good project.. Now What Gather background information Learn all the background information regarding your topic. Learn the vocabulary: Use: Books Magazines Internet People Encyclopedias Keep notes on your information and the source Use the Reference List Worksheet to help you record the source information Include page numbers & internet information Use Your Experiences

8. Form a Hypothesis This a prediction of what you think will happen. If liquid soap will last longer than bar soap, then it will have more lather for less soap.  (This is your If….. Then….. statement.) Use the prediction to help you direct and design your experiment.

9. Use the Scientific Method Purpose – What are you trying to find out Select an Independent Variable – this is what you are changing in the experiment to help you find your answer Control – what will your comparison group be Constants – what must stay the same to give accurate results Dependent variable – what data will you collect? Is it quantitative? Is it measureable Methods – What experiment did you use to test your hypothesis – How will you measure your results.

10. Use the Scientific Method Results – What did you find or observe? What data did you collect? What does your graph show you about the results? Present this in as clear a format as you can. Conclusion – What did you learn from your experiment? Was you hypothesis correct? If not why? Was your prediction wrong? Why?

11. What are some possible projects? http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_exp These are NOT science experiments, they are demonstrations. You have to think of a question and turn them into an experiment. Color Matters http://www.colormatters.com/ General topics by level http://eastern.scifairs.k12.nf.ca/intermed.html Steve Spangler http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/ Look at his experiments. You usually can do the experiment without buying a kit. Science Buddies http://www.sciencebuddies.org/ Again look at the experiments – you don’t have to buy a kit. Science Fair Topic ideas http://www.education.com/science-fair/

12. Biology / Botany Topic Water usage in plants. Can recycling water or “grey water” be just as effective on plants as tap or rain water? Question Do plants require a certain type of water to thrive? Background Plants need water for photosynthesis and respiration. Why? What are these processes and how does the type of water effect them. What else do plants need to grow? Plants also need sunlight to perform photosynthesis some plants have What are some possible projects? What about types of plants? Do some plants need more water than others? Why?

13. Next Steps Design the experiment Determine the Variables Independent – 2 or 3 types of water Control – tap water Dependent – Height of plant, number of leaves, fullness, color Constants -- Same type of plant, amount of water, amount & type of potting soil Same size & type of container for plant, Same location for all plants Same time of watering and method of watering Same number of plants (at least 10) in each testing group Methods (Procedure) -- How will you do the experiment Collect Data --- How will I design the data charts & graph the data Results: Interpret charts & graphs. What does the data tell me about the effect of grey water on plant growth? Conclusion -- summarize results. Did you prove or support your hypothesis? If not explain why, using data. If it did, explain why using data. Is your data accurate? Why or Why not. Were there any experimental errors? What were they or why wasn’t there any experimental errors? How could you improve your experiment? What new Questions does this experiment lead you to develop? How could this information be useful? What else would you like to know about this topic?

14. More Places for Science Fair Ideas All Science Fair Projects http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/ Pinterest – Science Fair Projects for Middle School https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?rs=ac&len=2&q=science%20fair%20project s%20for%20middle%20school&etslf=10270&eq=Science%20Fair%20Projects&0=sci ence%20fair%20projects%20for%20middle%20school|autocomplete|2 Remember, some of these are just demonstrations but look it over. There are many ideas you can use. Neuroscience for Kids http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html Also try How Stuff Works They have Science Projects for kids too.